The summary details of Forrester’s report ‘The Future Of Apple Inc.’ make it clear – the analyst believes Apple can be in charge of the digital home at the end of the next half-decade. But it’s going to have to provide us with some pretty compelling products to do it.

Personally, I think Steve Jobs may harbour such desire. But such desire must also be tempered by realism. Forrester’s prediction is a utopian dream. One that belongs alongside Minority Report-style displays and complete home automation.

Problem is, creating a seamless ‘digital home’ where devices talk to other devices isn’t just about hardware. It’s about content. Content providers differ in every corner of the globe. They use a myriad of different formats and distribution methods and have to protect their own revenue streams – and that doesn’t necessarily mean doing what’s easiest for the end user.

Apple can make an impact in this market, no question. But to do so it will have to dump pretty much everything it’s bombarded us with so far. Its hardware and software will need to become adept at dealing with other formats; its approach will need to be adaptable – and it will need to develop a list of partners that goes beyond Disney and NBC.

As we’ve said in our feature about the ins-and-outs of the report, localisation is a big issue for such an approach. And that isn’t something Apple has been traditionally good at. Content is still king – without giving people access to a decent quantity of it, Apple’s snazzy home hardware will be next to useless.